We carried out a review of the data available to us about Housing 21 - Cinnamon Court on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Housing 21 - Cinnamon Court, you can give feedback on this service.
Housing 21 – Cinnamon Court provides care and support to adults living in specialist 'extra care' housing. At the time of the inspection, 40 people aged 55 and over were living at the service and receiving personal care. The service can support up to 40 people. People live in self-contained flats across three floors of the service in the London Borough of Lewisham.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People's experience of using this service
The provider’s safeguarding procedures were followed by staff to protect people from the risk of abuse. Any allegations of abuse were referred to the local authority safeguarding team for investigation. People said staff treated them with kindness, were helpful and provided care in a compassionate way.
People were supported with the administration of their medicines as prescribed. Medicines administration records were completed as required and audited to ensure these were completed accurately.
People had risks identified and managed by staff. Risk assessments and management plans guided staff to reduce these risks. Assessments and reviews of people’s care took place, but some people said they were not involved in this process.
People had meals that met their nutritional needs and reflected their choices. There were enough staff to meet people’s individual care and support needs.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The provider’s complaints process was available so people could make a complaint if they were unhappy with an aspect of their care. People and staff were asked for their views on the service. The feedback was positive and demonstrated that the registered manager was approachable and supportive to them.
We have made one recommendation about involving people in decisions about their care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Rating at last inspection:
The last rating for this service was good (Last report published on 10 May 2017).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.
Housing and support 21 Cinnamon Court provides personal care for tenants living in self-contained flats. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support to 40 people.
The service had a registered manager at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were protected from the risk of avoidable harm by the detailed risk assessments and management plans in place. People received their care and support delivered by suitable staff who had been vetted prior to working with people and who had successfully completed a probation period. People were supported to take their medicines safely and were protected by the infection prevention and control practices of staff.
People received care and support from staff who were caring. Staff supported people to maintain relationships with family and friends. We found that people decided how they received their care and support. Staff respected people’s privacy and treated them with dignity.
People had clear care plans which stated how their individually assessed needs should be met. People were supported with reassessments when their needs changed. Staff supported people to engage in activities of their choosing and people shared their views with the provider about the service they received.
The service had a registered manager in post and both people and staff spoke positively about him. Staff had clarity in their roles and those with leadership positions and they felt that communication was good. There was a robust quality assurance process and staff collaborated with external organisations to improve outcomes for people.
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which looks at the overall quality of the service.
The previous inspection of the service took place on 10 December 2013 when it was found to meet all the required standards. This inspection was announced, which meant the provider was informed two working days beforehand to ensure that key members of the management team would be available in the office.
Housing & Care 21-Cinnamon Court is a service that provides personal care and support to up to 40 people who live in their own flats within a sheltered housing scheme. The service has an office and a staff team located in the scheme. The service has a registered manager who has been in post since July 2013. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the provider.
People who use the service told us they were very satisfied with it. People told us the staff had asked them how they wished to be supported and kept safe when they moved into their flats. They said they were involved in the development of their support plan and making decisions about how and when their support was delivered.
People told us staff listened to their views and treated them with respect. Each person received support that met their specific needs. For example, some people had three or four visits each day from staff to support them with their medicines, personal care and eating and drinking. Other people received less support and people were encouraged to be as independent as possible.
Some people said they enjoyed attending a day centre which operated in the ground floor of the building from Monday to Friday. A hot cooked meal was available at the day centre at lunch time as well as activities such as art classes. Other people we spoke with said they liked to stay in their own flat and could easily go out to the shops or receive visitors. A ‘memory group’ was held for people with dementia to attend if they wished.
People told us the managers of the service knew them and regularly met with them. They said they were asked how things were going in relation to their support and whether any changes needed to be made. People said staff were trustworthy and they received care which kept them safe.
People said they got the support they needed with their medicines and if they felt unwell staff arranged for them to see their GP or District Nurse. Health professionals told us staff in the service worked in partnership with them to ensure people’s health needs were met.
People told us they had noticed staff were well trained and regularly asked them how they were and what support they need. Staff said they thought the service was managed well and they had received support and training to enable them to meet people’s needs.
The service had learnt from incidents and made changes to improve the service. For example, medicine management procedures had changed following an error. The service had a complaints policy which was effectively put into practice. It had been used to document and follow up on verbal complaints that people had made about their support arrangements to ensure people received a good service.
Information we received from the local authority confirmed this positive view of the service. The local authority June 2014 contract monitoring report included information on the 10 responses they had received from questionnaires they had sent to people who use the service. The majority of people said they received a reliable service which met their needs and staff were friendly and treated them with dignity and respect.
Medicines were prescribed and given to people appropriately. The provider ensured that other professionals were consulted about medical matters.
There was sufficient numbers of qualified staff on duty and there was additional domestic and administrative staff to support the care staff. There was a senior leadership team who oversaw the service and had arrangements in place to ensure that the standard of care met the needs of people who used the service.
People were treated with respect and involved in discussions about their care and the services they received. They told us they had been consulted about the care they wanted, and how they preferred care to be given. Needs assessments and care plans were in place for everyone using the service, describing the care they needed and their personal preferences. People knew they had a care plan. They told us that the staff supported them well and were 'obliging'. Most people told us the same staff usually provided their support, came at the agreed times, performed their care tasks well and gave them extra help if it was needed.
People's privacy and dignity were respected. People told us that staff always knocked and asked for permission before going into their homes.
People were supported in promoting their independence and community involvement. Staff encouraged and supported people who were able to do things for themselves. Three people told us that the support they received had enabled them to remain actively involved in their family lives and outside interests, and that their physical and mental well-being had improved since moving to Cinnamon Court.
People who used the service told us the same staff usually supported them and said that they knew their care needs very well. They said the staff always treated them respectfully and always knocked and asked their permission before coming into their flat.
All of the people we spoke with who received a service said they knew the manager and they could go in the office at any time to speak with the manager or supervisors who were always available.
We were told by people who used the service that the supervisors regularly came into their home to speak with them and to observe staff working there and that made them feel safe and in good hands.
People who received support said they felt staff supported them in the way they wanted, and were caring and helpful. All were aware of their care plan, though not all could remember being involved in recent reviews. We saw copies in their home.